The testimonies of the three and eight witnesses were published in the first edition of the book of mormon and every edition since. The book of mormon gives very specific details about its characters culture, religion, politics, flora and fauna, etc. Historical evidence has led many people to question the authenticity of the book of mormon and the credibility of joseph smiths story. Bill mckeever explains in a conference talk how the book of mormon, if made of gold plates, would have weighed around 200 pounds. Sydney congregation learns about evidence and witnesses of.
Statements from joseph smith and brigham young in the early history of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints about where parts of the book of mormon took. The testimony of the eight witnesses was first published at the end of the 1830 edition of the book of mormon and has been printed in nearly every edition since, although. I am fascinated by the history of the book of mormon i would like to share with you ten littleknown facts about the book of mormon. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. How we got the book of mormon is a very well written description of the history of the book of mormon. A testimony of the book of mormon, as confirmed by the spirit, is the single most powerful witness we have of the divinity of jesus christ, the prophetic calling of joseph smith, and the. The first edition of the book of mormon featured two testimonials. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses kindle edition by anderson, richard lloyd. Peterson opened his presentation by commenting, kids like joseph smith dont produce books like this before he explained the complexity of language, geography and history within the book of mormon. In an article published in the american quarterly, alan taylor. This is a years study course, using the book of mormon as the text, with book of mormon.
Brother scott and the book of mormon spiritual and. Bofm witnesses presentation provides a spiritual and temporal witness of the realities of the book of mormon. Dan vogel the book of mormon witnesses and the magical worldview. This was a great presentation by grant that everyone really enjoyed and is now available on youtube. Can the book of mormon be explained as the work of a. The three witnesses is the collective name for three men connected with the early latter day. While this was a late recollection on cannons part, anderson justifies using it by stating that cannon had a remarkable intellect and a. Nov 03, 2014 statements from joseph smith and brigham young in the early history of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints about where parts of the book of mormon took place. Joseph smith only had three witnesses who claimed to see an angel. This page collects statements from the witnesses to the book of mormon plates in one convenient location. In addition to the changes and corrections that have marked the books history, there are many contradictions. Unlike the whitehaired abinadi of arnold fribergs paintings, abinadi in the new book of mormon video is a lot. I love how there was a lot of factual evidence and that really strengthens my testimony. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses richard l.
Bill mckeever shows how science is not a friend to the book of mormon story. Readers unfamiliar with the book of mormon are sometimes surprised to find how much, from the beginning to the end, the book is about jesus christ. The book of mormon people speakwrite hebrew and some form of egyptian. Three witnesses oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris declared an angel of god appeared to them and showed them the book of mormon plates and they heard the voice of the lord pronounce that joseph smiths translation had been accomplished. Book of mormon april general conference reaffirms mormonisms lovehate relationship with christianity the restoration of the fulness of the gospel of jesus christ. In regards to my testimony to the visitation of the angel, who declared to us three witnesses that the book of mormon is true, i have this to say. Joseph smith is a witness to the book s truthfulness. The 8 beliefs you should know about mormons when they knock. In studying the history of joseph smith and the the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, referred to as the mormons, we emphasize joseph smiths own testimony of. Book of mormon the testimony of three witnesses youtube.
Some may not realize that, aside from viewing the plates, the three witnesses of the book of mormon beheld several other nephite artifacts, including the miraculous directors which were given to lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the red sea doctrine and covenants 17. We are a nonprofit organization supported by people like you. Jan 27, 2017 the solemn testimony of the three witnesses has appeared in every edition of the book of mormon since 1830. Most latterday saints are aware of a minor industry in certain religious circles in the united states devoted to refuting mormonism and to criticizing the book of mormon. He strides with prophetic power onto the great center stage of the book of mormon, appearing near the precise chronological midpoint of the recordfive hundred years after lehi leaves. Other reasons we do not hold the book of mormon as true are many and varied. Peterson affectionately known as tapir dan by some for his theory that book of mormon horses could instead be deer or tapirs presented his. Those who would defend traditional beliefs about mormon origins often turn to the testimonies of 11 men. Brother scott and the book of mormon spiritual and temporal. Richard lloyd anderson, personal writings of the book of mormon witnesses, in book of mormon authorship revisited.
Evaluating the book of mormon witnesses book of mormon central. When joseph smith first obtained the gold plates, he was told to show them to no one. If you would like more interactive discussion, then please see our facebook discussion. Despite fairs rebuttal to the witnesses section of the ces letter, major concerns regarding the credibility of the book of mormon witnesses remain.
But should testimony of this nature be presented as undeniable empirical evidence. Richard anderson investigating the book of mormon witnesses, 1981 admits the third handnature of this account, but still uses it as evidence, attributing its most accurate. President nelson grandfathers visit from the other side of the veil and family history work duration. Facts on the book of mormon witnesses part 1 mormons. Richard anderson investigating the book of mormon witnesses, 1981 admits the third handnature of this account, but still uses it as evidence, attributing its most accurate telling to.
Believers in the book of mormon heard the witnesses declare that the plates were real and that the book of mormon was true. Their written testimony of three witnesses has been included in all of the. The evidence left by the book of mormon witnesses is rich, varied, and uneven. Ppt mormonism powerpoint presentation free to download. The book of mormon witnesses are a group of contemporaries of joseph smith who claimed to have seen the golden plates from which smith translated the book of mormon. Faithpromoting material about the book of mormon witnesses like. I believe that in a similar manner, many of the friends and relatives of the book of mormon witnesses could make statements to. A zombies reflections on that mormon apologists reflections.
The same statements are often quoted elsewhere in the wiki under specific articles. Jul 11, 2011 richard anderson investigating the book of mormon witnesses, 1981 admits the third handnature of this account, but still uses it as evidence, attributing its most accurate telling to george q. The book of mormon witnesses are a group of contemporaries of joseph smith, jr. It also contains biographical and historical information relating to the book of mormon. Dec 05, 2009 president nelson grandfathers visit from the other side of the veil and family history work duration. It is claimed that no document exists of the testimonies of the three and eight witnesses which contain their actual signatures, and that this somehow invalidates their testimonies as printed. Witnesses were called to bear testimony to the book of mormon. The book of mormon has several evidences within its pages that give evidence to it being exactly what. Joseph smith in the introduction to the book of mormon. The book of mormon provided multiple official and unofficial witnesses who corroborated aspects of josephs account. Some may not realize that, aside from viewing the plates, the three witnesses of the book of mormon beheld several other nephite artifacts, including the miraculous directors which were. Book of mormonwitnessessignatures on their testimonies.
Brother scott and the book of mormon spiritual and temporal witnesses presentation session 1 let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a. I visited with matt brown and heard that he did an incredible powerpoint presentation and i simply pray for the spirit of the lord so ill have. A frequent claim is that a book of mormon witnesses said that he only handled the plates while they were covered in a tow frock. The testimony of the eight witnesses was first published at the end of the 1830 edition of the book of mormon and has been printed in nearly every edition since, although most subsequent editions moved the statement to the front of the book and included minor grammatical corrections. Would you respond to the theories that the book of mormon. Watch alma transform from wicked priest to prophet in the. Why is the book of mormon so focused on jesus christ. Most latterday saints are aware of a minor industry in. Three witnesses the three witnesses are david whitmer, oliver cowdery, and martin harris, who mortgaged his farm to finance the first printing of the book of mormon. Each of these specific menoliver cowdery, martin harris, and david whitmersacrificed much to help with the translation and publication of the book of mormon, and its likely this is a significant part of why they were chosen as witnesses. Throughout their lives, none of the witnesses of the book of mormon ever. For able presentation of these points of view one may examine such books as lehi in the desert, an approach to the book of mormon, and since cumorah by brother nibley.
Published in every edition of the book of mormon are the testimonies of eight witnesses who saw the metal plates from which the prophet joseph smith translated the ancient scriptural. Of the eight witnesses, irr notes, all eight had close personal ties to joseph smiths familyfour were david whitmers brothers, a fifth was married to a whitmer sister, and josephs father and two brothers made up the remaining three. We talk at length about our assumptions that the three witnesses has a spiritual event, that the eight witnesses had a physical event, whether their experience was consistent, and how the institutional church may have. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading investigating the book of mormon witnesses. For instance, all 11 witnesses to the book of mormon shared a common worldview of second sight, magic, and treasure digging.
The question of the book of mormon witnesses is extremely significant. Evidence of the truthfulness of the book of mormon lds. Explaining away the book of mormon witnesses fairmormon. Testimony of the book of mormon eyewitnesses come reason. He said whoever wrote the book of mormon had access to the culture and historical facts.
Debunking fairmormon letter to a ces director witnesses. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses kindle edition. The most significant witnesses are the three witnesses and the eight witnesses, all of whom allowed their names to be used on two separate statements included with the book of mormon. Of course we were in the spirit when we had the view, for no man can behold the face of an angel, except in a spiritual view, but we were in the body also, and everything was as natural to us, as it. A faith promoting presentation of many correlations between the book of mormon and mesoamerican history. Dan vogel the book of mormon witnesses and the magical worldview mormon stories february, 2019 book of mormon, church history, joseph smith 9 comments continuing our discussion with preeminent joseph smith historian dan vogel, we dive deep into explaining the authorship of the book of mormon including these topics. Today chris and clay join me again for a roundtable discussion about the eleven witnesses to the book of mormon.
The three witnesses of the book of mormon compilation retouching and. They worship the old testament god, follow the law of moses, and even preach and worship christ both before and after his ministry. All three witnesses testimony of three witnesses 1829. Richard e turley jr does a fantastic job describing the events surrounding the. Why were three key witnesses chosen to testify of the book of. The witnesses and what they experienced, fairmormon presentation. The book of mormon contains two sets of joint statements written by joseph smith for those who claimed to have seen the gold plates. The eight witnesses of the book of mormon lds blogs. Jul 08, 2011 this is a photomechanical reprint of the first edition 1830 of the book of mormon. Talk about a riveting start to the latest book of mormon video. Over the past twentyfive years i have tracked down almost a thousand copies of the book of mormon that were printed between 18301920. The world was not left with joseph smiths testimony alone.
The shakers, however, had a large number of witnesses who claimed they saw angels and the roll and book. Would you respond to the theories that the book of mormon is. Book any title page introduction testimony of three witnesses testimony of eight witnesses testimony of the prophet joseph smith a brief explanation about the book of mormon illustrations 1 nephi 2 nephi jacob enos jarom omni words of mormon mosiah alma helaman 3 nephi 4 nephi mormon ether moroni pronunciation guide. Three men were called to bear witness to the world that the book of mormon came by divine power.
He said whoever wrote the book of mormon had access to the culture and historical facts that were not known to researchers during. Did the book of mormon witnesses really see what they claimed. The ad in the draper paper said, over the last 3040 years many discoveries have given great support to the book of mormon you will learn of the many spiritual and. The three are part of twelve book of mormon witnesses, who also include smith and the eight witnesses. Martin harris shows signs of being an unstable person in terms of his religious convictions.
A short rebuttal to president nelsons new proclamation. Many book of mormon research projects have implications for the continuing issues surrounding the authorship of the book of mormon. Comments on the book of mormon witnesses lightplanet. Richard anderson investigating the book of mormon witnesses, 1981 admits the third handnature of this account, but still uses it as evidence, attributing its most accurate telling to george q. Book of mormon witnesses facts, controversies, and contradictions. Bill mckeever gives a quick rundown in june 20 regarding his presentation of the gold plates. We also talk about the testimony of the three witnesses. However, this report is from william smith, one of josephs brothers who was not a book of mormon witness. As the director of the church history library, where we hold the churchs official archival. Book of mormon witnesses recant testimonies life after. Some of the witnesses of the book of mormon, who handled the plates and conversed with the angels of god, were afterwards left to doubt and to disbelieve. Aug 18, 2017 the following is a brief overview of the beliefs of mormonism the church of jesus christ of latterday saints believe, along with what the bible really teaches, printed among the many articles and resources in the back of the esv study bible posted with permission. Biographies in preston nibley witnesses of the book of mormon deseret book co.
The three and eight witnesses to the book of mormon. Ten littleknown facts about the book of mormon meridian. Book of mormon spiritual and temporal witnesses presentation. The hearsay accounts show that ones faith in the book of mormon witnesses or lack thereof is based not simply on hearing the witnesses testimonies but on how one chooses to receive and understand their testimonies. Eight men were also called to bear witness to the world that joseph smith had the plates from which the book of mormon was translated. Brother scott and the book of mormon spiritual and temporal witnesses presentation session 2. The most compelling evidence for the truthfulness of the book of mormon is spiritual. Beginning with the first edition of 1830, the book of mormon has generally contained two sets of testimonies the testimony of three witnesses and the testimony of eight witnesses. Christian whitmer one of the eight witnesses to the book of mormon was the eldest son of peter whitmer, sen. Portions of this column are based on a previous presentation by the author the book of mormon has sometimes been explained as the product not of simple fraud perpetrated by one fiendishly, peerlessly clever individual joseph smith, but of a more complex, collective fraud. Facts on the book of mormon witnesses part 1 mormons in.
Book of mormon index of topics mormonism research ministry. Brother scott and the book of mormon spiritual and temporal witnesses presentation session 1 let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment james 3. Mar, 2008 in studying the history of joseph smith and the the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, referred to as the mormons, we emphasize joseph smiths own testimony of the book of mormon, that book of additional scripture that is another testament of jesus christ. He concludes that guesswork on the part of the prophet joseph could not possibly account for all these parallels, which were unknown at the time of the book of mormon translation. If you love the book of mormon, consider donating to book of mormon central and becoming part of this exciting movement. The three men chosen as witnesses of the book of mormon were oliver cowdery, david whitmer, and martin harris. Investigating the book of mormon witnesses deseret book.
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